I bought the package deal, mostly for the failure and a b dolan t-shirt, not having heard any prolyphic (though, I've caught a bunch of reanimator through the forum) and I have to say this has been the best purchase I've made all year.

The Failure is mind-blowing. I put it on just before bed (since the wife is away for the weekend, and would never have allowed that otherwise, haha) and it was intense. I did not fall asleep, I listened through it twice in a row. Skycycle, Joan of Arcadia are two tracks that really stick out to me, but the album needs to be listened to in full to get the effect. I NEED TO SEE HIM LIVE.

The Ugly Truth was great, and a pleasant bonus really, not knowing quite what to expect. Put it on while cleaning my house and I had to stop and just listen quite a few times. Very relatable lyrics, and full, well-thought out beats.

And the T-shirt rocks.

Two Thumbs up SFR!

Sat May 10, 2008 5:43 pm

MYOWNCLICHE

Joined: 25 Jan 2004
Posts: 3887
Location: In side YOUR head

One of the most pleasant surprises I've had in a long time. The Ugly Truth blew me away. The Failure lives up to the hype..weird and heavy.. I'm loving it.
Nice work gentlemen,

Mon May 12, 2008 4:09 pm

relentlessmc

Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 4
Location: orlando,fl

first i must say thank you for putting together a package at such a cheap ass rate!!!!!

the failure is seriously one of the most thought provoking and emotionally charged albums ive heard since saul williams first album....dolan is a master of words and paints a picture in the mind of the listener like no other. Joan of arcadia is so clever and deep...love it greatly...KATE is the BEST THING IVE HEARD IN YEARS!!!!!!! hands down..if i had to pay $15 just for kate i would....thank you mr.dolan....you are a genius.

the ugly truth was also a suprise for me as i never heard prolyphic before but love reanimator from sages stuff...well put together...not overly complex but just very honest.i think you guys compliment each other well and are a perfect fit....i look forward to more music..."artist goes pop" and "broken bottles" are dope! "dick and jane" is fantastic and was hyped to hear macromantics on it...good album..thanks SFR!!!

Tue May 13, 2008 8:53 am

leg.donor

Joined: 15 Dec 2003
Posts: 2756
Location: Portland, OR

For me, The Ugly Truth is probably the best hip hop album to come out in the last few years. I'm absolutely loving it. The production is ridiculous. I hope the next album takes 5 years, if it is anywhere near this level. OK I'm going to stop gushing now.

Tue May 13, 2008 4:22 pm

futuristxen

Joined: 01 Jul 2002
Posts: 19377
Location: Tighten Your Bible Belt

I just got my copy of the Failure. Wowza. What beautiful packaging! And a stern warning about Lizards on the front! SFR album art design for the win!

Oh shit and an album shout out!

Tue May 13, 2008 7:59 pm

IAmNiki

Joined: 15 Aug 2005
Posts: 1605
Location: North Smithfield, RI

futuristxen wrote:

Oh shit and an album shout out!

Tue May 13, 2008 8:09 pm

BandiniWIZARD APPRENTICE

Joined: 01 Jul 2002
Posts: 4669
Location: jerk city

the failure is awesome. i like the new ending a lot more.

you guys should have a youtube film festival, inviting fans to create their own music videos with your music.

Wed May 14, 2008 6:57 pm

sequence

Joined: 21 Jul 2002
Posts: 2182
Location: www.anteuppdx.com

I bought the albums in .mp3 format from the Strange Famous site. I'm about to move and cannot bring myself to accumulate anymore material items at present.

At first, I was absolutely blown away by The Failure and totally underwhelmed by The Ugly Truth. But after more listens, I remain blown away by The Failure and am now blown away by Reanimator's half of the Ugly Truth. He is, as I said in another post, my new drum champion. Jel used to be my drum champion, now he'll have to do a lot to take it away from Reanimator. I like Pro's writing, for the most part, but his voice just doesn't do it for me. I feel like Reanimator over powers him. Either way, I've been listening to the album a lot and many people I've played it for have been geeked about it. I've become too much of a curmudgeon as I get older, I think.

The Failure, however, has ruined two or three days for me in the last week, but I can't stop listening to it. It is amazing. I think Dolan may have become my new favorite artist right now. The record has infected me so much that things I've been seeing have made me think of it. I saw a crow sitting in the fence of a little power station in Eugene with a big storm cloud behind it, and I thought, "fuck, I need to take a picture of that, have someone draw it and make a 'Still Electric' t-shirt out of it for me." That sort of stuff rarely happens to me these days.

In the day of the last art form of the album, Dolan has given me some hope.

Both records sound fantastic, and I imagine they look great. If they look nice on vinyl, I'll buy them both in that format (if possible) after I move.

Thu May 15, 2008 4:13 pm

futuristxen

Joined: 01 Jul 2002
Posts: 19377
Location: Tighten Your Bible Belt

Niki and I were driving around today, and listening to the Failure, and we were listening to Junk Poetry, and the Bombzo track, and getting visible goosebumps. Just from listening to it through a cd. It was really remarkable to get that kind of visceral physical reaction from someone's words and voice on an album you've listened to a great deal already.

The part in Bombzo about algonquin slave trading--like the way that part starts turning the corner, and you know where it's going, and it's just like complete goosebumps. I think the added touches to that track really amp up those effects. It has that Chainsaw Massacre-ish whirring fan someone's gonna get put on a meathook soon, vibe.

It's just amazing.

Thu May 15, 2008 5:42 pm

Sage FrancisSelf Fighteous

Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 21654

that is a great description.

When I first heard the Alias version I told B about how much it reminded me of a nasty horror film from the 70s.

Thu May 15, 2008 6:01 pm

bbreakz

Joined: 08 Apr 2008
Posts: 948

Yeah! I was listening to it in my truck and with nice speakers and by then i had listened to it enough to think i knew the track well. I was wrong. That vocie from the crowd suddenly interrupts but Alias distorted it, it made me jump. What the hell is that? I literally looked to the back of my truck.

Fri May 16, 2008 9:20 am

SteveJB

Joined: 08 Jul 2007
Posts: 430
Location: Salisbury UK

Had these for a while now and they're both fantastic.

The Failure is a crazily atmospheric and the concept is pulled off extremely effectively. The raps and poems are all brilliant, Joan of Arcadia, Skycycle Blues and Kate being my favorites. Really heavy stuff, thought provoking as well as an enjoyable listen.

The Ugly Truth is a great CD, favorite tracks are Survived Another Winter and On The Side, but it's great throughout. Quality beats from Reanimator and despite what others have said I really like Prolyphic's voice, it really clicks for me, not sure why but there's some rappers I don't like based on that which are very popular/acclaimed though I can't really explain why, I guess that's just a personal thing... (well obviously it is but I mean it's not something that can be qualified/quantified particularly well).

Great work strangefamous, looking forward to hearing more from the whole label and enjoying the current stuff for a long time to come. Only downer is somehow my B.Dolan shirt got blotchy bleached patches all over it the first time I wore it and came with a bit of red paint (I think) on it. Anyhow, very happy with the package deal, thanks for the music/goodies guys!

Fri May 16, 2008 12:56 pm

Sage FrancisSelf Fighteous

Joined: 30 Jun 2002
Posts: 21654

That was bombzo paint. haha. Sorry about that.

B was traveling with those shirts and Bombzo got his filthy hands into the stash. It was the free shirt included in your order right? Just making sure it wasn't the new shirts we're selling.

Fri May 16, 2008 12:59 pm

MessiahCarey

Joined: 01 Jul 2002
Posts: 10924

The Failure is sooooooo dope.

In all of its incarnations....this one is, obviously, the best.

Maybe I'm partial since I play guitar on the last track, though. ;-)

Keep killin' it, B....Gould told me you murdered Providence the other night. Lots of people talking in the crowd about you...came out of nowhere for a lot of people and they were definitely digging it.

Fri May 16, 2008 3:16 pm

SteveJB

Joined: 08 Jul 2007
Posts: 430
Location: Salisbury UK

Sage Francis wrote: That was bombzo paint. haha. Sorry about that.

B was traveling with those shirts and Bombzo got his filthy hands into the stash. It was the free shirt included in your order right? Just making sure it wasn't the new shirts we're selling.